Edward m



(No Model.)

B. M. STRANGE.

COMBINED STEAM AND AIR ENGINE.

Patented Jan. 24, 1882,

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD M. STRANGE, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

COMBINED STEAM AND.A|R ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 252,630, dated January 24, 1882,

Application flled January 21, 1881.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, EDWARD M. STRANGE, of the city of Baltimore, and State of Maryland, have invented an Improved Combined Steam and Air Engine, of which the following is a'speeification; and I do herebydeclare that in the same is contained afull,clear,and exact description of my said invention, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, andto the letters of reference marked thereon.

This invention relates to certain improvements in a combined steam and air engine for which Letters Patent of the United States No. 237,708 were granted to me on the'15th day of February, 1881. The said patented invent-ion, briefly stated, consists in combining, with a steam generator or boiler, an engine in which one side only of its piston is acted on by steam from the generator, the other side of the said piston being used to compress air, which is combined with the steam and used in connection therewith as a prime moverforthe engine. In the said Letters Patent I state substantially that the heatevolvedin the compression of air in the cylinder is modified or reduced sutficiently to prevent injury to the various packing-boxes by the action of steam on the walls of the cylinder. I now propose to generate steam in a water-jacket which surrounds the air-compressor, and utilize' the steam so generated in the propulsion of the engine-piston. With this view I surround the whole or a portion of the air-compressor with a waterjachet havingapertures in communication with the steam from the boiler or generator and with the air as it issues from the air-compressor, and connect the said water-jacket by means or a pipe or pipes with the generator at a point therein below the water-line.

In the further description of my said invention which follows reference is made to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof, and in which I Figure I is a sectional elevation of a steamgenerator and the cylinder and other portions of an engine connected by pipes, and embodying my presentimprovements. -Fig. II is a transverse section of the engine-cylinder at o v. Fig. III is a similar section of the enginecylinder at 10 1e. Fig. IV'is a cross-section of the cylinder at as no.

(No model.)

Similar letters of reference indicate similar parts in all the views.

A is an ordinary steam boiler'or generator. 13 is an engine-cylinder, one end of which is connected to the steam-space of the boiler A by means of a steam-pipe, a, and a steamchest, I), having suitable valves for controlling the movement of steam to and from the cylinder. The other end of the cylinder is fitted with a hollow head, 0, having an air-induction valve, cl, for supplying the cylinder with air at one stroke of the piston, and an eductionvalve, 0, for dischargingthe compressed airon the return-stroke ot' the piston to a pipe, f, in

communication with the steam-pipe a, or to the outer air through the pipe h, under circumstances hereinafter described. The waterjacket around the cylinder is formed of an exterior casing, t, separated from the cylinder proper by a body of water in communication by means of a pipe, k, with the water-spaceot' the boiler or with any other source of supply.

Parts of the apparatus not yet alluded to will be described and their uses sett'orth in the description of the operation of the invention which follows: Supposing the cylinder to be filled with air at the atmospheric pressure admitted thereto by means of the va lved,and it is desired to start the engine, the valves l and m in the steam-pipe a are opened, when the piston O is driven in such direction as to compress the contained air. The compressed air has two avenues of escape from the hollow head 0, viz: one to the steam-pipe a, in which it is mixed with the steam and used in connection therewith, as before described, and the other through a waste-valve, a, in the pipe h, to the open air. The valve n is usually opened when the engine is first started, and the air to reach the said valve has to pass around or through a chamber, 0, and over and acrossthe valvep, as shown by the arrow in dottedliues. When the air is to be utilized the waste-valve n is closed, and the means of exit is then through the valvep to the interior of the water-jacket, passingin its course over or through the body of water in the said jacket, as shown by the arrows in full lines.- In thislattermovement of the air steam is generated by the direct contact of the air with the water in the jacket, which steam, with thatresulting from the heating; of the walls of the cylinder by the compressed air. is c tmmingled with the air in its passage to the steam-pipes. It will be understood that in thisengine,asint11e patented one, the return-stroke of the piston is effected by the momentum of the fly-wheel.

I do not confine myself to any special construction and arrangement of the various valves employed to control the movements of the steam and air, or to any particular means for operating those which are not moved automatically.

The exhaust steam and air pipe, which is represented by 1', may either lead to the outer air or to another larger cylinder when itis used to propel a serond piston, thus introducingthe well-known compound principle, with this difference only, that the n opelling medium is a mixture of air and steam instead of steam alone.

.I claim as my invention- 1. In combination with a steam-generator, an air-compressi ng cylinder surrounded, or partially surrounded, by a water-jacket, the water of which has means of communication with the water in the boiler or with other source of water supply, and also with the steam-space of the boiler and with the air from the compressor at boiler or cylinder pressure, substantially as herein specified.

2. In combination with a steam-generator, an air-compressing cylinder surrounded, or partially surrounded, by a water-jacket, the water of which is in communication with the steam from said boiler and with air from the compressor, substantially as herein specified.

3. In combination with -an engine-cylinder, an air-compressing cylinder surrounded by a water-jacket, and appropriate pipes for combining and conducting the compressed air and the steam generated in said water-jacket by the heat from the compressed air to the said engine-cylinder, substantially as herein specitied.

, EDWARD MAGRUDER STRANGE.

Witnesses:

WM. 1. HOWARD, E1), RAUM. 

